The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1887-06-25
A New Departure.

farsighted, prudent, s%agacions. hon.
orable commercialists Of the West
has inaugurated a new departure to
which we attach much significance.
On the lst Of January, he removed
from the field all his travelling sales.
men, or drummers-as they are
termed in trade parlance, 1t is
either a grave mistake, or it sng
eests an era Of more safe, honorable,
Satisfactory relations between mer.
chant and merchant. 1t test the
Question whether the interlocutor is
a necessary and indispensable adj
junct to business or reflect credit
upon it. 1t is a conflict Of integrity
and confidence between buyer and
seller as against the frequent craft,
cunning, immortality and mendacity
of the drummer
We are disposed to consider Mr..
Nazro's action wise. While it can
not he denied that through the per-
sonal solicitation of agents many
houses III this country have built up
large and lucrative trades, it must
be admitted that the general ten.
dency Of the system of drumming is
demorallzing to commerce-nor do
we, by this assertion, assault the
personal character of the many most
excellent men whose vocation is to
sell goods ION the road" Very
, often the country merchant be,
comes contaminated through the
arti1ice Of the wiley.mannered sam
I. pie carrier, who thinks that the
amount of the order to be obta ined
depends upon the favor Of his cigars,
tie quality of bis LIQUOR and the
+ spice of bis aneedote. The average
t drummer is uneonscionable. He in.
e variabIy overstocks his customer
causing anxiety and rendering it
{, difficult to meet payments. In bis
q persistent efforts to please bis em
y ployer, he goes beyond the lines O.
safety aud frequently sells to parties
if who should not be recommended te
If credit. He is responsible for hal
the losses and half the bankruptcies
q. His policy Of dickeriug for trade
against competition destroys his We
t: racity and builds up a gigantic ant
in p~ernicious system Of falsehood. The
in merchant, in nine cases Of ten, doe
n. not know his customer-has no per
Il. sonal intercourse with him. He is, il
e. fact, enthralled by the drummer wh'
st manipulates all his patrons while HI
rs has scarcely more than a genera
he oversight Of Indoor workings. a
:. reform of some sort ia necessary tt
arrest the generalization which i
TINS brought upon the mercantile
h community. Whether such reform
should be made radical and at one
Oh is . question, but whether an evi
exists, the quickest way root it GU
IN and eradicate it is generally the hes
he way.
id Viewed in the light OF economy, tn
disposition which Mr.. Nazro ha
he made Of his drummers will have
II. most salutary effect. If the exam
he pie were generally followed it woul
result in a great saving to bushes
he men. There are employed in tn
IF. United States 10000 travelling sales
ch men, the average annual wages pal
this vast number of men being $4,000
A., or in round numbers the tremendou
a sum of $lSO,0O0,0 00. Confronte
by these figures, it is not to be VOL
al. dcred at that Mr.. Nazro Or any othe
man should seek some new method
MS more economical and wholesome
reaching customers.
is The p%ostofice and the press affor
he the most legitimate, judicjous, inc!
pensive and thorough means of inteI
lie course between the jobber and h;
re. customer. If 80 per cent. of ii
NC. amount now paid to travellers wer
ret expended in illustrated catalogues
re- samples, and we'll displayed adve
tisements in widely circulated new
,ut papers, the result would be salubl
ito ous, bounteous, and productive
as general good. The other 70 ,p'
ed cent. added to net profits would te
nd considerably upon prices, 1t will I
we'll if country dealers consider th
point. The merchant, without ira
The elers to pay. can always sell a graz